We recently interviewed Michael Tomberlin of Yellowhammering Afghanistan to find out more about his blog.

What are 3 things your readers probably do not know about you?

1. My nickname is “Chicken” because of an impersonation I do of . . . well . . . a chicken. I’ve been doing it since I was a little boy and to this day when I go to my hometown, folks call me “Chicken.”

2. I’m a pretty good cook. When I’m at home, I spend a lot of time working the grill. I also like to try my hand at gourmet recipes. I learned from some of the best. My internship was at New Orleans Magazine and my job for the summer was to interview 25 New Orleans chefs. I met Emeril Lagasse (who had just opened his first restaurant), Paul Prudhomme, Susan Spicer and all the greats. They each taught me a thing or two about cooking.

3. I met legendary University of Alabama Crimson Tide football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant when I was a little boy. My uncle, who helped organize the World Championship Domino Tournament, invited him to play in the tournament and he accepted. The invitation included coming to my grandmother’s house for lunch, which he also accepted. I have a picture of me and my sister sitting on the couch with the “Bear” hanging in my room in the barracks.

How long have you been blogging and why did you get into blogging?

I started blogging for this deployment. I was going to chronicle my experiences in a journal, but when I mentioned the prospect of doing it as a blog instead, the folks at al.com couldn’t have been more supportive. They set it up and have made it too easy. My civilian job is a reporter for The Birmingham News, which has its online home at al.com, hence the connection.

What is your military experience?

I have been in the Alabama Army National Guard for 21 years. In fact, prior to this deployment my entire time had been in the same field artillery battalion. I have always been a Redleg artilleryman. My first five years were spent enlisted as a 13F forward observer. I got my commission through ROTC at the University of Alabama. This is my first overseas deployment, though I have been activated for hurricane duty for Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina.

What are some of your other favorite Milblogs?

You mean other than vajoe.com? I’ve only recently discovered the www.milblogging.com Web site and have started sampling some of the many blogs on there. I can’t say I have any favorites yet, but I lean towards the ones in Afghanistan such as “Bill and Bob’s Excellent Adventure” and “AfghaniDan.”

What has been the biggest factor in helping you create and publish a successful blog?

I’ve had a lot of help. A graphic artist at The Birmingham News created my banner/logo. The technical experts at al.com help me incorporate elements like slideshows and video to give it more life.

I think the key element is telling the story. Don’t try to be too cute about it and don’t think that the mundane can’t be interesting. What I try to do is tell the story of what I experience, but not make it about me. I view myself as a generic soldier experiencing these things for the first time. I look at everything with fresh eyes and then as I think about them in terms of a blog entry, I consider the deeper meaning in what I’ve seen or felt. I’ve been accused of being philosophical, and perhaps I am. But when you are in a situation like many of us find ourselves in trying to make a change during some pretty historic times for an already history-rich country, then I think it helps to pause every once in a while and consider the true meaning of things.

Do you have anything else you would like us to mention about you, your blog, or your readers?

I can’t speak for other blogs, but the readers are not just passive people looking in on my site. The “Yellowhammering Afghanistan” readers are quite active in supporting me and the guys but also in supporting the people of Afghanistan. I get so many great packages of goodie bags, toys, candy, school supplies, clothes, you name it. We have ample opportunity to hand that out when we’re out on missions. As I was saying, the blog isn’t about me — it’s about the great work so many soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are doing here.

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